Narrative:

I underestimated my student's ability to communicate in the environment causing communication delays while I told her what to say. If I try to bring a primary student to class B again, and I hear other incoming aircraft, I will request to leave B airspace and go to willow run. I learned that I may be vectored across the approach paths of 3 other runways to get to my runway, when I used to assume this could never happen. My student was very slow about turning back to the runway, I thought we should be going to. In fact, she thought I was wrong, but didn't say anything. I took the airplane as she entered the tower frequency. I was nervous that we were taking too long to contact the tower. The tower asked if we had runway 21L and I said I thought I did. Then, we were adamantly asked to turn to 120 degrees immediately. I did hesitate at first because it would mean crossing the path of an airliner (a B737?) that was about 1/3 mi away and about 800 ft above us. I heard the airliner take the climb and go around. I also think the airport diagrams in the airways facilities directory could be improved. I had copied the dtw (detroit metropolitan) airport diagram and had it on my kneeboard. These are great tools. But the runway numbers are squeezed to fit the runway width depicted on the diagram. So a bigger airport's runways are even narrower because the whole airport has to fit on the same size page as a smaller airport. I would suggest doubling the font size on runway numbers to help pilots read them in dimly lit (night flight) cockpits and under the vibration of the environment.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CFI, WHILE TRAINING HER STUDENT IN DTW CLASS B AIRSPACE, WAS NOT FAMILIAR ENOUGH HERSELF WITH THE ENVIRONMENT AND CAUSED AN ACR TO GO AROUND.

Narrative: I UNDERESTIMATED MY STUDENT'S ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE IN THE ENVIRONMENT CAUSING COM DELAYS WHILE I TOLD HER WHAT TO SAY. IF I TRY TO BRING A PRIMARY STUDENT TO CLASS B AGAIN, AND I HEAR OTHER INCOMING ACFT, I WILL REQUEST TO LEAVE B AIRSPACE AND GO TO WILLOW RUN. I LEARNED THAT I MAY BE VECTORED ACROSS THE APCH PATHS OF 3 OTHER RWYS TO GET TO MY RWY, WHEN I USED TO ASSUME THIS COULD NEVER HAPPEN. MY STUDENT WAS VERY SLOW ABOUT TURNING BACK TO THE RWY, I THOUGHT WE SHOULD BE GOING TO. IN FACT, SHE THOUGHT I WAS WRONG, BUT DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING. I TOOK THE AIRPLANE AS SHE ENTERED THE TWR FREQ. I WAS NERVOUS THAT WE WERE TAKING TOO LONG TO CONTACT THE TWR. THE TWR ASKED IF WE HAD RWY 21L AND I SAID I THOUGHT I DID. THEN, WE WERE ADAMANTLY ASKED TO TURN TO 120 DEGS IMMEDIATELY. I DID HESITATE AT FIRST BECAUSE IT WOULD MEAN XING THE PATH OF AN AIRLINER (A B737?) THAT WAS ABOUT 1/3 MI AWAY AND ABOUT 800 FT ABOVE US. I HEARD THE AIRLINER TAKE THE CLB AND GO AROUND. I ALSO THINK THE ARPT DIAGRAMS IN THE AIRWAYS FACILITIES DIRECTORY COULD BE IMPROVED. I HAD COPIED THE DTW (DETROIT METRO) ARPT DIAGRAM AND HAD IT ON MY KNEEBOARD. THESE ARE GREAT TOOLS. BUT THE RWY NUMBERS ARE SQUEEZED TO FIT THE RWY WIDTH DEPICTED ON THE DIAGRAM. SO A BIGGER ARPT'S RWYS ARE EVEN NARROWER BECAUSE THE WHOLE ARPT HAS TO FIT ON THE SAME SIZE PAGE AS A SMALLER ARPT. I WOULD SUGGEST DOUBLING THE FONT SIZE ON RWY NUMBERS TO HELP PLTS READ THEM IN DIMLY LIT (NIGHT FLT) COCKPITS AND UNDER THE VIBRATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.